Image Storage - As In HD, CD, DVD, Etc

68lbs

68lbs

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April 2008
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Help, help, he-e-e-e-e-lp!

"I'm sorry, there is not enough disk space to download your images. Please select a new destination disk". :bang:

And I've only been doing this for a matter of months! I'm ok for the time being, as I'm just using the second drive, but I'm going to need some recommendations for the future. :bang:

What do you guys/gals use to store images. And do you backup? If so, onto what media? Do you keep EVERYTHING (that could be my problem)?

FYI, I've shot about 20Gb in 2 months, so that's 120Gb a year. And I work on a Mac G5. External HD seems a likely option to me. But then I need to come up with a plan for backup etc.
 
I use a range of external HD's. They are quite cheap from maplins etc. Some people use DVD's etc but you need to re-backup them after a few years as they degrade.

Its always best to back up to more than one HD especially if you're running a business ie portraits, weddings. Sometimes also usful to make a contact sheet for filled HD's for reference purposes.
 
I'm quite strict with what I keep in the first place, generall if two pictures are the same or very similar I'll only keep one, anything slightly wrong with it and it goes etc. I've only started this recently after I went through my Lightroom catalogue and culled about 2000 pictures (with 6Mb files that is a lot of disk space) due to them not being as good as other ones in a set or similar to others.

as for backing up it depends on your workflow, I use Lightroom, so this is Lightroom based, but bits of it may apply anyway.

When I copy (leaves images on the card, which is then formatted next time I use it, by which time other backups will have kicked in) the images onto my laptop, they are coped to an ecternal drive which has all my RAW files archived on, as well as the weekly Lightroom back ups. When this gets full I will swap another drive into the caddy and store this one in case it is ever needed.

My main back up is Time Machine to an external HD and then I also have Mozy for an offsite back up incase my flat burns down or something. It is probably overkill, but it is safe, covers all bases and is easy to restore files to (I've needed to use it and was very glad of the back ups).
 
I've been sorting out my storage for the last couple of months. I don't really care for external hard drives after having two fail in relatively short time scales so it's internal drives only for me now. (yes, I know they can fail too but they seem to be more reliable to me :shrug: ).

Now have 1X640GB and 1X500GB for backup, 2X320GB for the day to day stuff and an 80GB for the OS and programme stuff. Lovely :)
 
For a Mac these Western Digital external drives are ideal as they support Firewire 400 & 800.

I back up my photos to one of these regularly. I also keep and identical backup on a seperate drive stored away from home. Belt and braces!
 
Thanks for the replies. Seems you lot go to a lot of effort storing and backing up. Methinks I might be being a little niaive with my current lack of setup :)

I am guessing firewire is now the best/standard for connection of an external hd? Last time i bought an external disk it had a scsi connection and kept refusing to mount!
 
Most external HDDs will be USB2 but a Firewire 400/800 would be better, but if you needed to use it on another computer - would that computer have Firewire?

Internet storage - slow and 5Gb or even 50Gb doesn't go that far.

Blu-ray would be something to consider.
 
68lbs said:
Thanks for the replies. Seems you lot go to a lot of effort storing and backing up. Methinks I might be being a little niaive with my current lack of setup :)

I am guessing firewire is now the best/standard for connection of an external hd? Last time i bought an external disk it had a scsi connection and kept refusing to mount!
Click to expand...

As you're using a mac I would definately say firewire is the way to go. I use Firewire 800 on my imac and it's lightening fast! :D

You only have to loose some important information once to realise how important it is to back up. I lost an entrire hard drive on a mac at work a couple of years ago. Ever since I've been obsessive about backing up :bonk:
 
foodpoison said:
I have a 5 terrabyte external networked storage device, configured in a raid formation, giving me 2 terrabytes to play with.
Click to expand...

A link and some instructions would be much appreciated please :thumbs:
 
If I'm using a second internal drive for regular storage, then backing up (and at a future date archiving) onto an external disk, speed isn't too much of a problem as it can just run during the day when I'm at work, or overnight when asleep.

Gren, do you know if the little Western Digital Passport drives any good? They look convenient to just pop in a bag so my backups would then be 'off-site' and away from home.

Internet storage is definitely NOT an option, *** thanks for suggesting.
 
I've never used the WD Passports so I'm afraid I can't offer an opinion on them. What I would say is that I've used a great many WD drives over the years and always found them to be completely reliable. Those Passports certainly do look convenient though :)
 
I am using imac with internal 320 drive which I use for programs and stuff no image file storage.

I then have 3 external 500gb drives and a 320gb external drive.

I use one 500 for my RAW file storage.
I use one 500 for my Aperture Library
I use one 500 for media storage music and video

And the final 320 is used as a digital vault for aperture library.

Hope that helps

Shutterman
 
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